1
|
Elbohy OA, Iqbal M, Daly JM, Dunham SP. Development of Virus-like Particle Plant-Based Vaccines against Avian H5 and H9 Influenza A Viruses. Vet Sci 2024; 11:93. [PMID: 38393111 PMCID: PMC10891754 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci11020093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2024] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Avian influenza A virus (AIV) is a significant cause of mortality in poultry, causing substantial economic loss, particularly in developing countries, and has zoonotic potential. For example, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses of the H5 subtype have been circulating in Egypt for around two decades. In the last decade, H5N1 viruses of clade 2.2.1 have been succeeded by the antigenically distinct H5N8 clade 2.3.4.4b viruses. Furthermore, H9N2 viruses co-circulate with the H5N8 viruses in Egyptian poultry. It is widely recognised that effective vaccination against IAV requires a close antigenic match between the vaccine and viruses circulating in the field. Therefore, approaches to develop cost-effective vaccines that can be rapidly adapted to local virus strains are required for developing countries such as Egypt. In this project, the haemagglutinin (HA) proteins of Egyptian H5 and H9 viruses were expressed by transient transfection of plants (Nicotiana benthamiana). The formation of virus-like particles (VLPs) was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. Mice were immunised with four doses of either H5 or H9 VLPs with adjuvant. Antibody and cellular immune responses were measured against the corresponding recombinant protein using ELISA and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISpot), respectively. Chickens were immunised with one dose of H5 VLPs, eliciting HA-specific antibodies measured by ELISA and a pseudotyped virus neutralisation test using a heterologous H5 HA. In conclusion, plant-based VLP vaccines have potential for producing an effective vaccine candidate within a short time at a relatively low cost.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ola A Elbohy
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Munir Iqbal
- Avian Influenza Group and Newcastle Disease, The Pirbright Institute, Woking GU24 0NF, UK
| | - Janet M Daly
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Stephen P Dunham
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zahmanova G, Aljabali AAA, Takova K, Minkov G, Tambuwala MM, Minkov I, Lomonossoff GP. Green Biologics: Harnessing the Power of Plants to Produce Pharmaceuticals. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17575. [PMID: 38139405 PMCID: PMC10743837 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants are increasingly used for the production of high-quality biological molecules for use as pharmaceuticals and biomaterials in industry. Plants have proved that they can produce life-saving therapeutic proteins (Elelyso™-Gaucher's disease treatment, ZMapp™-anti-Ebola monoclonal antibodies, seasonal flu vaccine, Covifenz™-SARS-CoV-2 virus-like particle vaccine); however, some of these therapeutic proteins are difficult to bring to market, which leads to serious difficulties for the manufacturing companies. The closure of one of the leading companies in the sector (the Canadian biotech company Medicago Inc., producer of Covifenz) as a result of the withdrawal of investments from the parent company has led to the serious question: What is hindering the exploitation of plant-made biologics to improve health outcomes? Exploring the vast potential of plants as biological factories, this review provides an updated perspective on plant-derived biologics (PDB). A key focus is placed on the advancements in plant-based expression systems and highlighting cutting-edge technologies that streamline the production of complex protein-based biologics. The versatility of plant-derived biologics across diverse fields, such as human and animal health, industry, and agriculture, is emphasized. This review also meticulously examines regulatory considerations specific to plant-derived biologics, shedding light on the disparities faced compared to biologics produced in other systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gergana Zahmanova
- Department of Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology, University of Plovdiv, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (K.T.)
- Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Alaa A. A. Aljabali
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Yarmouk University, Irbid 21163, Jordan;
| | - Katerina Takova
- Department of Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology, University of Plovdiv, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (K.T.)
| | - George Minkov
- Department of Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology, University of Plovdiv, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; (K.T.)
| | - Murtaza M. Tambuwala
- Lincoln Medical School, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool Campus, Lincoln LN6 7TS, UK;
| | - Ivan Minkov
- Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnologies, 4108 Markovo, Bulgaria
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Sepotokele KM, O'Kennedy MM, Wandrag DBR, Abolnik C. Optimization of infectious bronchitis virus-like particle expression in Nicotiana benthamiana as potential poultry vaccines. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0288970. [PMID: 37471377 PMCID: PMC10358894 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Infectious bronchitis (IB) is a highly contagious, acute respiratory disease in chickens, with a severe economic impact on poultry production globally. The rapid emergence of regional variants of this Gammacoronavirus warrants new vaccine approaches that are more humane and rapid to produce than the current embryonated chicken egg-based method used for IB variant vaccine propagation (chemically-inactivated whole viruses). The production of virus-like particles (VLPs) expressing the Spike (S) glycoprotein, the major antigen which induces neutralizing antibodies, has not been achieved in planta up until now. In this study, using the Agrobacterium-mediated Nicotiana benthamiana (tobacco plant) transient expression system, the highest levels of VLPs displaying a modified S protein of a QX-like IB variant were obtained when the native transmembrane (TM) domain and cytoplasmic tail were substituted with that of the Newcastle disease virus (NDV) fusion glycoprotein, co-infiltrated with the NDV Matrix protein. In comparison, the native IB modified S co-infiltrated with IB virus membrane, envelope and nucleocapsid proteins, or substituted with the TM and CT of an H6-subtype influenza A virus hemagglutinin glycoprotein yielded lower VLP expression levels. Strong immunogenicity was confirmed in specific pathogen free chickens immunized intramuscularly with VLPs adjuvanted with Emulsigen®-P, where birds that received doses of 5 μg or 20 μg (S protein content) seroconverted after two weeks with mean hemaggluttination inhibition titres of 9.1 and 10 log2, respectively. Plant-produced IB VLP variant vaccines are safer, more rapid and cost effective to produce than VLPs produced in insect cell expression systems or the traditional egg-produced inactivated whole virus oil emulsion vaccines currently in use, with great potential for improved IB disease control in future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kamogelo M Sepotokele
- Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Martha M O'Kennedy
- Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Biosciences, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Daniel B R Wandrag
- Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Celia Abolnik
- Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Jung JW, Park PG, Lee WK, Shin JH, Jang MH, Seo EH, An T, Kim YB, Moon MH, Choi SK, Yun JS, Hong KJ, Kim SR. Production of Plant-Derived Japanese Encephalitis Virus Multi-Epitope Peptide in Nicotiana benthamiana and Immunological Response in Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11643. [PMID: 37511402 PMCID: PMC10380836 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The current production of the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) vaccine is based on animal cells, where various risk factors for human health should be resolved. This study used a transient expression system to express the chimeric protein composed of antigenic epitopes from the JEV envelope (E) protein in Nicotiana benthamiana. JEV multi-epitope peptide (MEP) sequences fused with FLAG-tag or 6× His-tag at the C- or N-terminus for the purification were introduced into plant expression vectors and used for transient expression. Among the constructs, vector pSK480, which expresses MEP fused with a FLAG-tag at the C-terminus, showed the highest level of expression and yield in purification. Optimization of transient expression procedures further improved the target protein yield. The purified MEP protein was applied to an ICR mouse and successfully induced an antibody against JEV, which demonstrates the potential of the plant-produced JEV MEP as an alternative vaccine candidate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jae-Wan Jung
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
- PhytoMab Co., Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Pil-Gu Park
- Department of Microbiology, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon 21936, Republic of Korea
| | - Won-Kyung Lee
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun-Hye Shin
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
- PhytoMab Co., Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi-Hwa Jang
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
- PhytoMab Co., Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Hye Seo
- Department of Microbiology, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon 21936, Republic of Korea
- BK21 Plus, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Timothy An
- Department of Microbiology, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon 21936, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Beom Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Myeong Hee Moon
- Department of Chemistry, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Jee Sun Yun
- Eubiologics Co., Seoul 06026, Republic of Korea
| | - Kee-Jong Hong
- Department of Microbiology, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon 21936, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong-Ryong Kim
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
- PhytoMab Co., Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Su H, van Eerde A, Rimstad E, Bock R, Branza-Nichita N, Yakovlev IA, Clarke JL. Plant-made vaccines against viral diseases in humans and farm animals. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1170815. [PMID: 37056490 PMCID: PMC10086147 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1170815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Plants provide not only food and feed, but also herbal medicines and various raw materials for industry. Moreover, plants can be green factories producing high value bioproducts such as biopharmaceuticals and vaccines. Advantages of plant-based production platforms include easy scale-up, cost effectiveness, and high safety as plants are not hosts for human and animal pathogens. Plant cells perform many post-translational modifications that are present in humans and animals and can be essential for biological activity of produced recombinant proteins. Stimulated by progress in plant transformation technologies, substantial efforts have been made in both the public and the private sectors to develop plant-based vaccine production platforms. Recent promising examples include plant-made vaccines against COVID-19 and Ebola. The COVIFENZ® COVID-19 vaccine produced in Nicotiana benthamiana has been approved in Canada, and several plant-made influenza vaccines have undergone clinical trials. In this review, we discuss the status of vaccine production in plants and the state of the art in downstream processing according to good manufacturing practice (GMP). We discuss different production approaches, including stable transgenic plants and transient expression technologies, and review selected applications in the area of human and veterinary vaccines. We also highlight specific challenges associated with viral vaccine production for different target organisms, including lower vertebrates (e.g., farmed fish), and discuss future perspectives for the field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hang Su
- Division of Biotechnology and Plant Health, NIBIO - Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Ås, Norway
| | - André van Eerde
- Division of Biotechnology and Plant Health, NIBIO - Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Ås, Norway
| | - Espen Rimstad
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ralph Bock
- Department III, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Norica Branza-Nichita
- Department of Viral Glycoproteins, Institute of Biochemistry of the Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Igor A. Yakovlev
- Division of Biotechnology and Plant Health, NIBIO - Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Ås, Norway
| | - Jihong Liu Clarke
- Division of Biotechnology and Plant Health, NIBIO - Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Ås, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
VanderBurgt JT, Harper O, Garnham CP, Kohalmi SE, Menassa R. Plant production of a virus-like particle-based vaccine candidate against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1044675. [PMID: 36760639 PMCID: PMC9902946 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1044675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is a disease leading to spontaneous abortions and stillbirths in sows and lowered life quality and expectancy in growing pigs. PRRS is prevalent worldwide and has significant economic impacts to swine industries around the globe. Co-expression of the two most abundant proteins in the viral envelope, the matrix protein (M) and glycosylated protein 5 (GP5), can produce a neutralizing immune response for the virus providing a potentially effective subunit vaccine against the disease, but these proteins are difficult to express. The goal of this research was to display antigenic portions of the M and GP5 proteins on the surface of tobacco mosaic virus-like particles. A modified tobacco mosaic virus coat protein (TMVc) was transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves and targeted to three subcellular compartments along the secretory pathway to introduce glycosylation patterns important for M-GP5 epitope immunogenicity. We found that accumulation levels in the apoplast were similar to the ER and the vacuole. Because glycans present on plant apoplastic proteins are closest to those present on PRRSV proteins, a TMVc-M-GP5 fusion construct was targeted to the apoplast and accumulated at over 0.5 mg/g of plant fresh weight. TMVc virus-like particles self-assembled in plant cells and surface-displayed the M-GP5 epitope, as visualized by transmission electron microscopy and immunogold localization. These promising findings lay the foundation for immunogenicity and protective-immunity studies in animals to examine the efficacy of this vaccine candidate as a measure to control PRRS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jordan T. VanderBurgt
- Biology Department, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- London Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London, ON, Canada
| | - Ondre Harper
- London Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London, ON, Canada
- Biochemistry Department, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Christopher P. Garnham
- London Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London, ON, Canada
- Biochemistry Department, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | | | - Rima Menassa
- Biology Department, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- London Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Jung J, Zahmanova G, Minkov I, Lomonossoff GP. Plant-based expression and characterization of SARS-CoV-2 virus-like particles presenting a native spike protein. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2022; 20:1363-1372. [PMID: 35325498 PMCID: PMC9115404 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
We have investigated the use of transient expression to produce virus-like particles (VLPs) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, the causative agent of COVID-19, in Nicotiana benthamiana. Expression of a native form of the spike (S) protein, either alone or in combination with the envelope (E) and membrane (M) proteins, all of which were directed to the plant membranes via their native sequences, was assessed. The full-length S protein, together with degradation products, could be detected in total protein extracts from infiltrated leaves in both cases. Particles with a characteristic 'crown-shaped' or 'spiky' structure could be purified by density gradient centrifugation. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays using anti-S antibodies showed that threefold higher levels of VLPs containing the full-length S protein were obtained by infiltration with S alone, compared to co-infiltration of S with M and E. The S protein within the VLPs could be cleaved by furin in vitro and the particles showed reactivity with serum from recovering COVID-19 patients, but not with human serum taken before the pandemic. These studies show that the native S protein expressed in plants has biological properties similar to those of the parent virus. We show that the approach undertaken is suitable for the production of VLPs from emerging strains and we anticipate that the material will be suitable for functional studies of the S protein, including the assessment of the effects of specific mutations. As the plant-made material is noninfectious, it does not have to be handled under conditions of high containment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jae‐Wan Jung
- Department of Biochemistry and MetabolismJohn Innes CentreNorwich Research ParkNorwichUK
- Department of Molecular BiologyJeonbuk National UniversityJeonjuKorea
| | - Gergana Zahmanova
- Department of Plant Physiology and Molecular BiologyUniversity of PlovdivPlovdivBulgaria
- Center of Plant Systems Biology and BiotechnologyPlovdivBulgaria
| | - Ivan Minkov
- Center of Plant Systems Biology and BiotechnologyPlovdivBulgaria
- Institute of Molecular Biology and BiotechnologiesMarkovoBulgaria
| | - George P. Lomonossoff
- Department of Biochemistry and MetabolismJohn Innes CentreNorwich Research ParkNorwichUK
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Bortolami A, Donini M, Marusic C, Lico C, Drissi Touzani C, Gobbo F, Mazzacan E, Fortin A, Panzarin VM, Bonfante F, Baschieri S, Terregino C. Development of a Novel Assay Based on Plant-Produced Infectious Bursal Disease Virus VP3 for the Differentiation of Infected From Vaccinated Animals. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:786871. [PMID: 34950172 PMCID: PMC8689005 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.786871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Infectious bursal disease virus is the causative agent of Gumboro disease, a severe infection that affects young chickens and is associated with lymphoid depletion in the bursa of Fabricius. Traditional containment strategies are based either on inactivated or live-attenuated vaccines. These approaches have several limitations such as residual virulence or low efficacy in the presence of maternally derived antibodies (MDA) but, most importantly, the impossibility to detect the occurrence of natural infections in vaccinated flocks. Therefore, the development of novel vaccination strategies allowing the differentiation of infected from vaccinated animals (DIVA) is a priority. Recently, commercial vectored and experimental subunit vaccines based on VP2 have been proved effective in protecting from clinical disease and posed the basis for the development of novel DIVA strategies. In this study, an engineered version of the VP3 protein of IBDV (His-VP3) was produced in plants, successfully purified from Nicotiana benthamiana leaves, and used to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of anti-VP3 antibodies. The His-VP3 ELISA was validated with a panel of 180 reference sera and demonstrated to have 100% sensitivity (95% CI: 94.7-100.0) and 94.17% specificity (95% CI: 88.4-97.6). To evaluate the application of His-VP3 ELISA as a DIVA test, the novel assay was used to monitor, in combination with a commercial kit, detecting anti-VP2 antibodies, the immune response of chickens previously immunized with an inactivated IBDV vaccine, a recombinant Turkey herpes virus carrying the VP2 of IBDV (HVT-ND-IBD) or with plant-produced VP2 particles. The combined tests correctly identified the immune status of the vaccinated specific pathogen free white-leghorn chickens. Moreover, the His-VP3 ELISA correctly detected MDA against VP3 in commercial broiler chicks and showed that antibody titers fade with time, consistent with the natural decrease of maternally derived immunity. Finally, the novel assay, in combination with a VP2-specific ELISA, demonstrated its potential application as a DIVA test in chickens inoculated with VP2-based vaccines, being able to detect the seroconversion after challenge with a very virulent IBDV strain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Bortolami
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe), Legnaro, Italy
| | - Marcello Donini
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, ENEA Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Carla Marusic
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, ENEA Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Lico
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, ENEA Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Charifa Drissi Touzani
- Avian Pathology Unit, Pathology and Veterinary Public Health Department, Agronomic and Veterinary Institute Hassan II, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Federica Gobbo
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe), Legnaro, Italy
| | - Elisa Mazzacan
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe), Legnaro, Italy
| | - Andrea Fortin
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe), Legnaro, Italy
| | - Valentina Maria Panzarin
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe), Legnaro, Italy
| | - Francesco Bonfante
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe), Legnaro, Italy
| | - Selene Baschieri
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, ENEA Casaccia Research Center, Rome, Italy
| | - Calogero Terregino
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe), Legnaro, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Stander J, Chabeda A, Rybicki EP, Meyers AE. A Plant-Produced Virus-Like Particle Displaying Envelope Protein Domain III Elicits an Immune Response Against West Nile Virus in Mice. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:738619. [PMID: 34589108 PMCID: PMC8475786 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.738619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is a globally disseminated Flavivirus that is associated with encephalitis outbreaks in humans and horses. The continuous global outbreaks of West Nile disease in the bird, human, and horse populations, with no preventative measures for humans, pose a major public health threat. The development of a vaccine that contributes to the "One Health" Initiative could be the answer to prevent the spread of the virus and control human and animal disease. The current commercially available veterinary vaccines are generally costly and most require high levels of biosafety for their manufacture. Consequently, we explored making a particulate vaccine candidate made transiently in plants as a more cost-effective and safer means of production. A WNV virus-like particle-display-based vaccine candidate was generated by the use of the SpyTag/SpyCatcher (ST/SC) conjugation system. The WNV envelope protein domain III (EDIII), which contains WNV-specific epitopes, was fused to and displayed on AP205 phage virus-like particles (VLPs) following the production of both separately in Nicotiana benthamiana. Co-purification of AP205 and EDIII genetically fused to ST and SC, respectively, resulted in the conjugated VLPs displaying EDIII with an average coupling efficiency of 51%. Subcutaneous immunisation of mice with 5 μg of purified AP205: EDIII VLPs elicited a potent IgG response to WNV EDIII. This study presents the potential plants being used as biofactories for making significant pharmaceutical products for the "One Health" Initiative and could be used to address the need for their local production in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Stander
- Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Aleyo Chabeda
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Edward P. Rybicki
- Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Science, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ann E. Meyers
- Biopharming Research Unit, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Su H, Yakovlev IA, van Eerde A, Su J, Clarke JL. Plant-Produced Vaccines: Future Applications in Aquaculture. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:718775. [PMID: 34456958 PMCID: PMC8397579 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.718775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Aquaculture has undergone rapid development in the past decades. It provides a large part of high-quality protein food for humans, and thus, a sustainable aquaculture industry is of great importance for the worldwide food supply and economy. Along with the quick expansion of aquaculture, the high fish densities employed in fish farming increase the risks of outbreaks of a variety of aquatic diseases. Such diseases not only cause huge economic losses, but also lead to ecological hazards in terms of pathogen spread to marine ecosystems causing infection of wild fish and polluting the environment. Thus, fish health is essential for the aquaculture industry to be environmentally sustainable and a prerequisite for intensive aquaculture production globally. The wide use of antibiotics and drug residues has caused intensive pollution along with risks for food safety and increasing antimicrobial resistance. Vaccination is the most effective and environmentally friendly approach to battle infectious diseases in aquaculture with minimal ecological impact and is applicable to most species of farmed fish. However, there are only 34 fish vaccines commercially available globally to date, showing the urgent need for further development of fish vaccines to manage fish health and ensure food safety. Plant genetic engineering has been utilized to produce genetically modified crops with desirable characteristics and has also been used for vaccine production, with several advantages including cost-effectiveness, safety when compared with live virus vaccines, and plants being capable of carrying out posttranslational modifications that are similar to naturally occurring systems. So far, plant-derived vaccines, antibodies, and therapeutic proteins have been produced for human and animal health. However, the development of plant-made vaccines for animals, especially fish, is still lagging behind the development of human vaccines. The present review summarizes the development of fish vaccines currently utilized and the suitability of the plant-production platform for fish vaccine and then addresses considerations regarding fish vaccine production in plants. Developing fish vaccines by way of plant biotechnology are significant for the aquaculture industry, fish health management, food safety, and human health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hang Su
- Division of Biotechnology and Plant Health, NIBIO - Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Ås, Norway
- Department of Aquatic Animal Medicine, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Igor A. Yakovlev
- Division of Biotechnology and Plant Health, NIBIO - Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Ås, Norway
| | - André van Eerde
- Division of Biotechnology and Plant Health, NIBIO - Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Ås, Norway
| | - Jianguo Su
- Department of Aquatic Animal Medicine, College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jihong Liu Clarke
- Division of Biotechnology and Plant Health, NIBIO - Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Ås, Norway
| |
Collapse
|